LCCI urges government to stop discrimination in gas supply: over 1,300 industrial units closed

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Monday urged the government to immediately stop discrimination in gas supply to industry in Punjab, as suspension of gas supply has forced closure of over 1300 industrial units, rendering thousands of workers unemployed.
The LCCI Acting President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad in a statement on Monday expressed fear that the industrial sector could be destabilised while unemployment would increase if the situation remains the same. Around 40 per cent of the industrial units in Punjab run on gas and gas suspension means no production by almost half of the industry in Punjab and a loss of millions of rupees to the exchequer, he added.
Arshad said that the 'discriminatory attitude' of the government was not only denting its goodwill and reputation but had also put a question mark on its ability to manage and govern things. He said that the units in Sindh were getting an almost uninterrupted supply except a two- to three-hour load shedding. He further said that gas suspension would badly hit the export-based industry and sought the Prime Minister's intervention and help for a regular supply of gas to the industry in Punjab.
How the industry would be able to manage export orders worth millions of dollars when there is no gas? What about the thousands of daily wagers who have a single source of income? And above all, he said and added how the government would convince both the local and foreign investors for investment when it is unable to manage the supply of gas to existing industrial units. The decision would send a very negative signal to the foreign buyers. "Instead of coming up with some sort of relief package, the industry is being pushed to the wall. The gas curtailment or disconnection is tantamount to throttling the industry to death" he maintained.
The LCCI Acting President said that it seemed that some elements in the Gas Company were hatching conspiracies against the government to defame it. The businessmen were unable to understand why the business community was not taken into confidence over the industry-related issues. If the SNGPL was facing some supply-related issues, it must have brought them in the real stakeholders' notice well ahead of time. "It would have taken about two years to set up a system for LNG supply, had the government been accepted LCCI proposal a couple years ago, he maintained.